NASA probed an asteroid and found an ancient repository of ingredients for life. The findings, published in two papers in the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy on Wednesday, point to a missing link ...

The new findings strengthen the "RNA world" hypothesis that describes how the first life on Earth could have used RNA instead ...

Molecules that combine elements of RNA and DNA, so-called chimeric molecules, may have been an important step in the emergence of life on Earth from the primordial soup that existed billions of years ...

The origin of life continues to remain a matter of debate. The ribonucleic acid (RNA) world hypothesis proposes that 'ribozymes' which store genetic information and possess catalytic functions may ...

NASA 's OSIRIS-REx mission returned samples from asteroid Bennu, revealing the presence of organic compounds essential for ...

The creation of memories in the brain involves addition or removal of methyl groups at precise spots on chromosomal DNA. But what controls the careful targeting of these neuronal DNA methylation ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The RNA world theory suggests that life on Earth began with RNA molecules that copied themselves. It’s believed this self-replication eventually gave rise over millions of years to DNA ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. For a molecule of RNA, the world is a dangerous place. Unlike DNA, which can persist for millions of years in its remarkably stable, ...